Samsung opens chip R&D office in Greater Sacramento

Samsung Semiconductor has opened an R&D office in Folsom. The office is home to an advanced computer lab and controller development team to create technology for artificial intelligence, data centers, mobile phones and automotive chips. The office will initially employ 50 with plans to grow.

With Samsung, the region now hosts operations for five of the world’s leading memory chip manufacturers, including  Micron, Kioxia, Western Digital and Solidigm (a subsidiary of SK hynix).

“We selected Folsom due to the Greater Sacramento region’s rich technology talent pool in hardware and software and its proximity to the Bay Area. We look forward to being part of this community.” – Jinman Han, President of Samsung Semiconductor

This announcement is the region’s fourth major semiconductor investment in 18 months:

• April 2023: Bosch announced $1.5 billion investment to create its first chip manufacturing facility in the U.S. and third in the world.
• February 2023: Global semiconductor leader Solidigm announced the region as its global headquarters.
• September 2022: Solidigm announced 1,900 R&D jobs in the region

Greater Sacramento is the place for memory chip leaders looking to relocate or expand, with:

• 26x more concentrated semiconductor growth capital than the U.S. average
• 14x applied chemistry research production than the U.S. average
• 57x particle physics research production than the U.S. average

Source: Brookings 2024